Lamp guard



F. c. KOLLATH 2,291,906

LAMP GUARD Filed July 22, 1939 AT ORNEY.

Patented Aug. 4, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to lamp guards of the type which are detachablyconnected to a handle guard, and particularly to a rubber handle guard.

An important object of the invention is to provide new and improvedlooking or clamping means for locking or clamping a two-part lamp guardin position, the means being constructed and arranged to permit quickand ready operation.

Another object of the invention is th provi- I sion of a lamp guardhaving a two-part collar pivotally connected together, and a clamping orlocking arrangement at the upper part of the lamp guard for drawing thetwo parts together and for causing a squeezing clamping action of thecollar about the neck of a handle guard so as to lock the lamp guardfirmly to a handle guard.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a lamp guardmade in two parts and rigidly secured to a hingedly connected collar,

whereby the lamp guard is free to open outwardly about the pivotalconnection of the collar, there being an improved clamping element tolock the two parts of the guard together at the top, by

drawing the two members together, and to cause the collar to clampingly'squeeze about a rubber handle guard to lock or secure an electricalsocket provided in the rubber handle guard.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent throughout theprogress of the fol-' lowing specification.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a selected embodiment of theinvention, and the views therein are as follows:

Fig. l is a detail elevational view of a lamp guard and embodying theinvention, the lamp guard being shown in locked position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the clamping element partlyunlocked;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 2, but;

showing the looking or clamping mechanism totally unlocked and the twoparts of the guard spread apart; and

Fig. 4 is a detail top plan view of the device The parts It] and II arepivotally con g nected at l4 by any convenient means, such as by a rivetpassing through the extremities of the legs l3. The collar 9, therefore,comprises the parts I!) and H, pivotally connected at l4. The verticalwires 6 have their bottom ends rigidly secured to respective parts ofthe collar 9 and their upper ends secured to a supporting member 15,comprising two parts !6 and H; the vertical wires 6, on one side of theslit 8, being connected to the member l6, and the remaining Wires 6, onthe other side of the split 8, being connected to the member ll. Thelamp guard, therefore, is free to be spread apart along the line 8 aboutthe pivot points 14. A book [8 is adapted to be operatively fastened tothe part I! of the member I5.

The lamp guard 5 is adapted to be locked to a handle guard i9, which ispreferably made of flexible rubber-likematerial. This guard is providedwith a longitudinal bore to receive a conductor carrying cable. Theconductors in the cable are adapted to make electrical contact with alamp socket (not shown) provided in a recess in the largest portion 20of the handle guard 19.

The legs I3 of the collar 9 permit the two parts of the lamp guard to bespread apart readily, and also provide an elongated collar having anelongated receiving opening when th two parts of the guard are spreadapart on their pivots M. The legs l3, therefore, provide means for anelongated opening to permit a handle guard I9 or a cable member to beinserted readily and quickly within the collar 9.

A clamping member 2| is provided for locking the two parts of the guardtogether, the same having operative engagement with the parts It and I!which constitute the supporting member IS. The clamping member 2!comprises a loop shaped wire member 22, which has the ends of its legs23 bent and extending through holes 24 provided in ears 25 which areintegral with the part l6 of the supporting member I5. The part 22 isbent, as indicated at 26, and is wound about itself, as indicated in thedrawing, to provide oppositely disposed eyes 21, Fig. 2. These eyes 21pivotally receive the legs 28 of a loop shaped member 29, which areadapted to receive a keeper 30 fixed to the part I! of the member 15.The clamping member 2| is so constructed and arranged that the meremovement of the loop member 22 will cause locking engagement to lock thetwo parts of the guard together, or to unlock the parts to permit theguard to be spread apart, no tools being needed to cause such attachmentand detachment. The outer end of the member 29 is adapted to be held inlocked position by the keeper 39. This keeper may comprise theupstanding notched members, as shown, or it may comprise any othersuitable member fixed to the part [1 to receive the member 29.

Instead of providing the supporting member I 5, comprising the two partsI6 and I1, any other suitable member capable of accomplishing the resultmay be substituted. Moreover, instead of providing the ears 25 on themember l1, certain of the vertical wires 6 may be bent to provide eyesto receive the legs 23 of the part 22.

In actual use, the guard and its cooperating clamping member 2| is inthe position shown in Fig. 1, with the member 29 in looking engagementwith the keeper 3!). When it. is desired to unlock the guard 5, the part22 of the clamping member 2| is moved upwardly to the respectiveposition shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As the clamping part 22 is movedupwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2, the parts will be in unlockedposition, except that the member 29 will still be in engagement with thekeeper member 33. Continued pivotal movement of the member 22 willrelease the member 29 from the keeper 39, as shown in Fig. 3, at whichtime the member 29 is free to be completely disconnected ordisassociated from the keeper 39. The two halves of the guard5,.therefore, are free to be swung outwardly on the pivot points M,thereby providing ample room for the insertion or removal of a lampglobe, and if it is desired to place the guard on another handle l9, thetwo parts of the guard may be swung to a position whereby the two legsl3 of the clamping ring will be relatively parallel. The two parts ofthe guard, therefore, will be practically in a straight line, givingfree and ample access to the globe and permitting replacement of thehandle or detachment of the guard from the handle. When it is desired toreconnect and lock the parts together, the loop part 29 of the clampingmember 2| is arranged so that the member 29 will be in engagement withthe keeper 39, Fig. 2. When the clamping part 22 is pressed downwardly,the two parts of the guard will be drawn together, and the collar 9 willsqueezingly engage the rubber of the handle guard 19 about the electriclamp socket. As the part 22 is moved to home position, as shown in Fig.1, the eyes 2! will be below its pivotal connection where the legs 23enter the openings 24 in the ears 25, causing a snap action and lockingthe clamp in position. Also, the two parts of the guard 5 will be drawnand locked together. Therefore, when the clamp is in its home or lockedposition, as shown in Fig. l, the clamp will be below its straight linelocking position, and the pull is such that the clamping part 22 willlie against the body of the guard. When the clamp is opened, the part 22is pulled upwardly beyond the straight line clamping action, thereforecausing the part 22 to tend to snap upwardly, effecting unlocking of thedevice.

The invention provides a lamp guard which is provided with a clampingmeans. for permitting the guard to be unclamped and spread apartinstantly so as to permit quick and easy insertion or removal of a lampglobe. Also, the clamping action permits the guard to be clamped inlocked position by the mere manipulation of a pivotal clamping member.The clamping member is preferably made of two parts of wire material, asshown, preferably connected together. Each of the parts is bent to theproper shape or configuration to perform the function intended.

The guard is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and it may bequickly and readily assembled. Moreover, the particular construction ofthe collar connecting the two parts of the guard together permitsone-half of the guard to be spread a considerable distance from theother part, thereby providing plenty of room for changing a lamp globe.Moreover, the particular shape and construction of the collar, includingthe leg portion l3, permits the guard to be quickly ap plied to a handleguard l9, or allows the handle guard l9 to be quickly removed fromposition.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of theparts without departing from the spirit of the invention, or sacrificingany of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all suchchanges as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A two-part lamp guard for removable attachment to a portable handleguard comprising, a pair of collar members shaped to engage aboutopposite sides of said handle guard with a spacing therebetween, a pairof resilient guard members attached to the respective collar membersand. extending in a direction to enclose a lamp globe mounted in saidhandle guard, an inclined leg at each of the ends of each collar memberextending angularly therefrom in a direction generally opposite to saidguard members, means pivotally connecting adjacent legs together formingsubstantially V-shaped connections, said pivotal connections providingfor the movement'of said legs and collar members into a position whereinthey define an elongated handle guard receiving passage and wherein theremote free ends of said guard members are spaced apart to permitinsertion and withdrawal of said lamp globe, said collar members movingtowards and away from said handle guard upon movement of said guardmembers about said pivotal connections and being squeezed into clampingengagement with the handle guard by the action of drawing said remotefree ends of said guard members towards each other, and meanscooperating with the re mote free ends of said guard members for drawing said ends towards each other to effect said clamping of said collarmembers around said handle guard.

2. A two-part lamp guard for removable attachment to a portable handleguard comprising, a pair of collar members shaped to engage aboutopposite sides of said handle guard with a spacing therebetween, a pairof resilient guard'mernbers attached to the respective collar membersand extending in a direction to enclose a lamp globe mounted in saidhandle guard, cooperating inclined legs on the ends of said collarmembers extending angularly therefrom in a direction generally oppositeto said guard members, means pivotally connecting adjacent legs togetherwith the legs forming substantially V-shaped connections, said pivotalconnection providing for spacing remote free ends of said guard membersapart to permit insertion and withdrawal of said lamp globe, said collarmembers moving towards and away from said handle guard upon movement ofsaid guard members and being squeezed into clamping engagement with thehandle guard by the action of drawing said remote free ends of theflexible guard members towards each other, and leverage means pivotallymounted on the remote free end of one of said guard members andengagable with a part on the remote free end of the other guard memberfor drawing said ends towards each other to efiect said clamping of saidcollar members around said handle guard.

3. A two-part lamp guard for removable attachment to a handle guard andhaving curved ends capable of being spread apart to permit insertion orremoval of a lamp globe comprising, a relatively circular collar on eachlamp guard part shaped to extend around and clamp onto said handleguard, each of said collars being substantially less than a semi-circleto provide substantial spacing between both ends of the respectivecollars, a leg attached to each of the ends of each collar part andinclined to extend downwardly and inwardly with respect to thelongitudinal axis of said lamp globe to meet in a substantially V-shapedconnection, means independent of said handle guard pivotally connectingthe ends of adjoining legs together, a clamping member fastened on onelamp guard part at the end of said guard remote from the collar, akeeper on the other lamp guard part cooperating with the clamp to lockthe two parts together, said clamping member including a wire in theform of a loop having its ends pivotally connected to the one said lampguard part, a second wire in the form of a loop having its endspivotally connected to the first wire, said first mentioned loop beingbent at said pivotal connection with said second loop to provide forlying closely adjacent the curved outer end of the lamp guard when inclamped position, and said last named loop being adapted to haveengagement with said keeper, said clamp and keeper providing for drawingsaid lamp guard parts towards each other to reduce the opening of thecollar parts and squeeze the collar parts into clamping engagement withthe handle guard.

FRANCIS C. KOLLATH.

